Microseismic DAS Strain-Rate Data from Utah Geothermal Flow Test

Encompassing microseismic strain-rate measurements recorded at 1000 Hz using a Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) fiber in well 16B during a geothermal flow test near the Utah FORGE site. Data were acquired between August and September 2025 by Fervo Energy using a Silixa iDAS system and are stored in sequential HDF5 files. Each file includes six geophone channels and DAS measurements along the fiber with a 10 m gauge length and 2.04 m spatial sampling interval.

Use Cases

• Analyze strain-rate time series from DAS fiber channels to detect and locate microseismic events induced by the flow test.
• Compare seismic signals between the six geophone channels and the DAS fiber measurements for sensor validation and data fusion.
• Process the 1000 Hz strain-rate data stored in HDF5 arrays to characterize the frequency content of induced seismicity.
• Utilize the embedded metadata on pulse rate and spatial fiber configuration to calibrate strain-rate measurements for quantitative analysis.

Strengths

• Data recorded at a high 1000 Hz output rate, suitable for detailed microseismic waveform analysis.
• Includes both DAS fiber measurements with ~2.04 m spatial sampling and six discrete geophone channels for multi-sensor comparison.
• Acquisition parameters, instrument configuration, and timing references are embedded as metadata within the HDF5 files.

Limitations

• The dataset consists of raw, unprocessed strain-rate values in 16-bit integer format, requiring significant domain expertise and calibration for interpretation.
• Specific temporal and spatial coverage details beyond the general project period and well location are not explicitly quantified in the provided description.
• Data volume, number of files, and total duration of the continuous acquisition are unknown, complicating resource planning for download and analysis.

Provenance

Source

Department of Energy

Collection Method

Recorded using a Silixa iDAS system during the Frisco pad flow test project led by Fervo Energy.

Time Range

August to September 2025

Freshness

Data last updated in March 2026, with primary acquisition occurring in 2025.

Geography

Near the Utah FORGE geothermal site, specifically in well 16B.